All incoming students can stay up-to-date with general information from Longhorn Orientation. CNS students should also be sure to view college-specific information, presentations, and handouts on Canvas.
Follow @CNS_Advising on Instagram during your orientation week for a chance to win CNS swag!
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Before Orientation
- Complete the UTMA. All incoming CNS students are required to purchase and take the UT Math Assessment. Students should complete the UTMA prior to the beginning of their orientation session.
- Complete the Chemistry Assessment. Many CNS majors are required to complete the UT Chemistry Assessment prior to orientation. Other students may need to complete the assessment if they plan to register for CH 301.
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Set up a Zoom account. Registration assistance and some advising appointments may take place on Zoom. Use your UT EID to set up a Zoom account through UT. Test your audio and video capabilities with a friend or family member to make sure you can see and hear everything. For troubleshooting Zoom, please see our guidelines.
For Majors in the Biosciences:
Complete the AP/IB/Dual Credit Survey. Prior to your orientation session, bioscience students will receive a link to a Qualtrics survey to indicate your AP and IB exams with anticipated scores. The survey also includes space to provide information about any dual credit taken during high school. Even if you did not take any exams or dual credit, this information is valuable to your advisor to help them prepare to make course recommendations during your one-on-one advising session.
Students will still need to send in exam scores to claim applicable credit and send in dual credit transcripts. These topics will be covered in more detail in your CNS Foundations seminar during the fall semester, and you can discuss any questions in the fall semester with an academic advisor.
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During Orientation
Day 1
- Attend the CNS College Meeting. Learn more about CNS and opportunities for new students with Assistant Dean Anneke Chy! More details about the time and location will be shared in an email you receive from CNS prior to your orientation session.
- Attend required program meetings (if applicable). Students in certain special programs are required to attend program meetings, which may begin on Day 1. Check your email
- Attend your advising appointment (when scheduled). You will receive information about your scheduled advising appointment time from your advisor via email prior to orientation (check your spam folder if you don't see yours in your inbox!). During your advising session, you will meet with an advisor and choose classes for the spring semester based on your major, professional goals, and applicable AP scores or transfer credit. Some advising appointments may be scheduled on Day 2.
For Majors in the Biosciences:
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Attend the Biosciences Orientation Presentation. Incoming Biochemistry, Biology, Medical Labaratory Science, and Neuroscience majors will receive information about a required orientation presentation on Day 1. Advisors will present information about building your fall schedule, calculus requirements, and how to register.
To prepare for your individual advising appointment, review the presentations below:
- Introduction and Building Your Schedule
- Calculus Requirements For Your Major
- Using the Course Schedule and How to Register
Day 2
- Attend your advising appointment (when scheduled). You will receive information about your scheduled advising appointment time from your advisor via email prior to orientation (check your spam folder if you don't see yours in your inbox!). During your advising session, you will meet with an advisor and choose classes for the spring semester based on your major, professional goals, and applicable AP scores or transfer credit. Some advising appointments may be scheduled on Day 1.
- Use the Course Schedule. Look at the Course Schedule to see which courses are being offered and which sections are currently open. After your advising session, you will need to use the course schedule to find unique numbers to plug into the registration system when your registration time opens up. Class locations on the course schedule are subject to change and some courses may be offered in-person, hybrid or online.
- Continue attending orientation events. Attending required and optional orientation events are great ways to familiarize yourself with life at UT Austin! Get to know campus and find some friends and organizations to connect with in the fall semester.
Day 3
- Register for classes. Check your RIS page to see when your registration time becomes available. Use the unique numbers for the courses you planned with your advisor to register for courses.
- Register with your 99 number that includes your CNS Foundations or TrIG seminar and other reserved courses first. Then add additional unique numbers for courses you’re attempting to register for. If you do not use your 99 number first, you will not be able to access registration for these courses!
- If you need registration help, your advisor will be available to help via Zoom on Day 3. This Zoom link will be provided to you in an email.
- Familiarize yourself with common schedule options for incoming freshmen and transfer students.
- Get optional registration help. If you need registration help, your advisor will be available to help in person or via Zoom. A Zoom link will be provided to you via email. For help troubleshooting Zoom, please see our guidelines.
- Be flexible. The goal of registration is for you to enroll in courses you need to get started on your degree. Sections offered at your preferred times or taught by your ideal professor may close during registration. Plan to be flexible! Use the Course Schedule to find multiple unique numbers of open sections for your desired courses and alternative options based on what you discussed with your advisor. Be prepared with several backups. You will have an opportunity to attempt to shift your schedule around during the Add/Drop Period before the semester begins.
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After Orientation
- Pay your tuition. Pay your tuition by 5 p.m. the day of your deadline (you can find it on your “My Tuition Bill” page) so you don’t get dropped from your classes! If you are paying with financial aid, you can read some FAQs. Apply for a Tuition Loan to cover your costs, if necessary.
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Visit the Health Professions Office and CNS Career Services websites. If you are thinking about applying for medical school, dental school or any other pre-health professional school after graduation from UT, you will have access to the Health Professions Office for pre-health advising services beginning in the fall semester. You can take a look at the resources on their website, where they have put together everything from prerequisite lists to DIY planning guides.
If you’re not sure what you’d like to do with your degree after graduation, you can get an idea of what other graduates from UT have gone on to do using the resources for your major put together by CNS Career Services. They also help students who are planning to apply to graduate school.
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Explore other resources. Interested in undergraduate research, studying abroad, and other hands-on experiences? Check out the CNS Office of Experiential Learning! The CNS Experiential Learning Office provides students with meaningful opportunities to enhance their academic journey through hands-on experiences. They offer tailored consultations and resources to help students explore research, internships, community engagement, and global learning programs, including study abroad opportunities. By fostering these experiences, they empower students to develop critical skills, build professional networks, and prepare for successful careers.
We’ve collected some additional resources new students might be interested in checking out before classes begin. Start exploring academic and non-academic resources!
Orientation Resources
The resources below will help with common registration questions for Day 3 and introduce you to other campus resources to prepare for the fall semester!
Registration Resources
UT RIS and Registration System
How to run and read your Degree Audit (IDA)
Manage your waitlists with info from OneStop and MPA Advising
For Majors in the Biosciences:
Common AP credit to claim (discuss with an advisor first!)
How to claim AP credit (discuss with an advisor first!)
Academic Resources
Pre-Health Professions, Pre-Grad, and Career Planning Resources
Zoom Troubleshooting
Some orientation activities, like receiving registration help, will require setting up a Zoom account. Follow the instructions below for troubleshooting.
- Set up Zoom with your UT EID. Use your UT EID to set up a Zoom account through UT. Use UT’s Zoom setup instructions if you’re having trouble. Using your UT EID to set up your account will allow you to access UT meetings and events. You will not be able to access UT Zoom meetings without logging in through a Zoom account.
- Test your audio and video. Use Zoom’s audio settings to test your audio and microphone through Zoom’s audio settings (access by clicking on the arrow next to the Mute button).
- Practice calling a friend or family member (they do not need to have a UT Zoom account) to make sure you can see and hear everything. You will attend various orientation events, including registration help, via Zoom and it’s important to make sure these things are working!
- Ask your Orientation Advisor (OA) for help during your small group meetings if they can hear or see you.
- Exit/quit Zoom and rejoin the meeting. Sometimes audio problems will resolve themselves if you exit or quit Zoom, reopen Zoom and attempt to rejoin the meeting.
- Use your computer's audio. Unplugging or disconnecting your headphones and/or external microphone can resolve some audio problems. Try disconnecting these items and see if using your computer’s input and output resolves the issue.
- Call into Zoom. If your audio malfunctions, you can call into the Zoom meeting using phone numbers provided by your advisor.
- Contact your advisor via email. Please contact your advisor via email for registration assistance if you are still experiencing issues.